I WON’T do it again. Having myself glued to a chair at the La Nilad coffeeshop in SM City Pampanga from one in the afternoon to seven in the evening.
It was not an overdose of caffeine that I felt sorry about: the coffee was fine, thank you. It was an overload of political talk. Which I now want to inflict upon you here.
“Yabut hindi aabot.” It was someone who looked like the double-visionary Deng Pangilinan of radio dwRW making pun of one board member’s slogan unabashedly pirated from a defunct bus liner’s blurb of warranty that its passengers will arrive at their destination: “Basta Yabut, aabot.”
The Deng dead-ringer had a mouthful about 4th District Board Member Ric Yabut ambitioning to be congressman when all he could claim for a reputation was his being brother of Public Works Undersecretary Rafael Yabut.
“So what has he done as board member? As chairman of the committee on the environment, he failed to make good his word that he would fight the cutting of trees along MacArthur Highway. Where was Yabut when Punto! was crying its voice hoarse against the massacre of the trees, when the Save the Trees coalition were rallying people to put a stop to that wanton destruction of the environment?”
Honestly, I could not remember hearing even just a pipsqueak from Yabut at that time.
“Yabut’s dream of being congressman will turn into his worst nightmare. Given the reality of the Bondocs, the lords and rulers of the 4th District. Even removing their enormous war chest and their well-oiled machinery, on the very basic factor of service to the people, the Bondocs, be it former Cong. Rimpy or current Rep. Anna York, are light years away from Yabut.”
So no one can pose a serious threat to the Bondocs in 2010?
“Only one who has proven his worth in government service: former board member and former Transportation Assistant Secretary Rene Maglanque, that’s who.”
The bushy mustachioed Ed Aguilar of Central Luzon Daily nearly choked on his chocolate cake.
“Maglanque would not also stand a chance against the Bondocs. The only one who can beat them in their own game is none other than my relative, the senor from Minalin: Don Pepito Mercado.”
Ha? Don Pepito still dreaming, after that disastrous run for the governorship in 1995?
“You bet. He will give the Bondocs a run for their money, literally.”
Owwws?
“He has budgeted P300 million for his congressional run.”
Butted in an excited ex-mayor: “Ten million for every mayor in the district would run to only P80 million, less than a third of the budget.”
“What P10 million? Don Pepito is thinking P20 million per mayor.” That was Ed, aka, Macky Pangan.
The ex-mayor nearly collapsed in his seat.
So where is Don Pepito?
“In the States, sewing up some loose threads in his conglomerates there. But he will be back mid-September to make the announcement.”
And after making the announcement, return to the States and show himself up only in the last leg of the campaign?
“No. We have learned out lessons from 1995. As a matter of fact, he would not use the fleet of stretched Mercedes Benz limos again. He would ride in something less luxurious but as elegant, befitting his stature. A don will always have to be a don, you know.”
Maybe, in keeping with his pronouncements, a horse-drawn calesa would be more fitting. Puro kuwentong kutsero naman ang pera niya.
“I will keep that in mind and make sure Don Pepito won’t give you a single cent from his P300 million.” Red-faced Ed blurted.
All that buzz and it’s but the 4th District being talked about.
“So how about (1st District) Cong.Tarzan Lazatin uniting with Angeles City Mayor Blueboy Nepomuceno?” That was the Deng look-alike trying to shift the focus of discussion.
What about it?
“As east is east and west is west, so is Tarzan Tarzan and Blueboy Blueboy. No way the twain shall meet.” Ed Aguilar there.
“I see a repeat of 1998 there,” said one whom I mistook for Jun Sula of SunsStar Pampanga.
How?
“In the contest for the House seat then, the graduating Tarzan first raised the hand of Beko Panlilio; then he leased his barangay leaders to Rey Guiao; shared the stage of Lakas-UNDP with Ed Pamintuan; allegedly ending up in a modus vivendi with Blueboy.”
Complications and systems overload setting in, I had to stop. Time to look for another coffeeshop. Starbucks at SM City Clark, maybe. For there, there’s only Ashley Manabat. And Mayor Boking Morales too. More promise of productivity there. Intellectual and otherwise.
It was not an overdose of caffeine that I felt sorry about: the coffee was fine, thank you. It was an overload of political talk. Which I now want to inflict upon you here.
“Yabut hindi aabot.” It was someone who looked like the double-visionary Deng Pangilinan of radio dwRW making pun of one board member’s slogan unabashedly pirated from a defunct bus liner’s blurb of warranty that its passengers will arrive at their destination: “Basta Yabut, aabot.”
The Deng dead-ringer had a mouthful about 4th District Board Member Ric Yabut ambitioning to be congressman when all he could claim for a reputation was his being brother of Public Works Undersecretary Rafael Yabut.
“So what has he done as board member? As chairman of the committee on the environment, he failed to make good his word that he would fight the cutting of trees along MacArthur Highway. Where was Yabut when Punto! was crying its voice hoarse against the massacre of the trees, when the Save the Trees coalition were rallying people to put a stop to that wanton destruction of the environment?”
Honestly, I could not remember hearing even just a pipsqueak from Yabut at that time.
“Yabut’s dream of being congressman will turn into his worst nightmare. Given the reality of the Bondocs, the lords and rulers of the 4th District. Even removing their enormous war chest and their well-oiled machinery, on the very basic factor of service to the people, the Bondocs, be it former Cong. Rimpy or current Rep. Anna York, are light years away from Yabut.”
So no one can pose a serious threat to the Bondocs in 2010?
“Only one who has proven his worth in government service: former board member and former Transportation Assistant Secretary Rene Maglanque, that’s who.”
The bushy mustachioed Ed Aguilar of Central Luzon Daily nearly choked on his chocolate cake.
“Maglanque would not also stand a chance against the Bondocs. The only one who can beat them in their own game is none other than my relative, the senor from Minalin: Don Pepito Mercado.”
Ha? Don Pepito still dreaming, after that disastrous run for the governorship in 1995?
“You bet. He will give the Bondocs a run for their money, literally.”
Owwws?
“He has budgeted P300 million for his congressional run.”
Butted in an excited ex-mayor: “Ten million for every mayor in the district would run to only P80 million, less than a third of the budget.”
“What P10 million? Don Pepito is thinking P20 million per mayor.” That was Ed, aka, Macky Pangan.
The ex-mayor nearly collapsed in his seat.
So where is Don Pepito?
“In the States, sewing up some loose threads in his conglomerates there. But he will be back mid-September to make the announcement.”
And after making the announcement, return to the States and show himself up only in the last leg of the campaign?
“No. We have learned out lessons from 1995. As a matter of fact, he would not use the fleet of stretched Mercedes Benz limos again. He would ride in something less luxurious but as elegant, befitting his stature. A don will always have to be a don, you know.”
Maybe, in keeping with his pronouncements, a horse-drawn calesa would be more fitting. Puro kuwentong kutsero naman ang pera niya.
“I will keep that in mind and make sure Don Pepito won’t give you a single cent from his P300 million.” Red-faced Ed blurted.
All that buzz and it’s but the 4th District being talked about.
“So how about (1st District) Cong.Tarzan Lazatin uniting with Angeles City Mayor Blueboy Nepomuceno?” That was the Deng look-alike trying to shift the focus of discussion.
What about it?
“As east is east and west is west, so is Tarzan Tarzan and Blueboy Blueboy. No way the twain shall meet.” Ed Aguilar there.
“I see a repeat of 1998 there,” said one whom I mistook for Jun Sula of SunsStar Pampanga.
How?
“In the contest for the House seat then, the graduating Tarzan first raised the hand of Beko Panlilio; then he leased his barangay leaders to Rey Guiao; shared the stage of Lakas-UNDP with Ed Pamintuan; allegedly ending up in a modus vivendi with Blueboy.”
Complications and systems overload setting in, I had to stop. Time to look for another coffeeshop. Starbucks at SM City Clark, maybe. For there, there’s only Ashley Manabat. And Mayor Boking Morales too. More promise of productivity there. Intellectual and otherwise.
